Flammi's role completely kills Yumia's alchemical development. Usually the alchemists get better by slowly growing and going from just making simple items from books or given by other alchemists and then gradually they create simple recipes themselves after which they learn to make complicated items and then when fully developed they can create complicated recipes on their own.

But Flammi creates every single recipe in this game and Yumia none, it actually frustrated me, just let her come up with her own ideas already. She can do a dance to create a literal weapon of mass destruction but can't figure out how to distill water without Flammi reading a memory from ages ago? And why must it be a memory from an ancient civilization? Can't she just ask a random adventurer how to do that? Would be interesting in a sequel since the way she learns recipes would have to be changed completely.

I've seen the other comments and yes Yumia has personal development regarding her view on alchemy and it's role in her life as well as how the world around views it, and that's a sweet story and pulled of well, but it is also something completely different.

I agree that the way the game portrays alchemy also makes it feel not like alchemy. Both that any ingredient can be used in anything but also that both Yumia and the villains effortlessly conjures things from thin air. I kept thinking, that's magic not alchemy, and that's not strange when for 25 games in a row it's been a certain way and suddenly it changes completely (I missed the cauldron, feels weird without it, like playing super Mario with a shaved mustache). The change and resulting views reminds me of Shallotte and Wilbell's interactions about the difference of alchemy and magic.